In 2016 Ohio birder Laura Keene embarked upon a yearlong journey with a goal of seeing and photographing as many species of birds in the ABA area as possible. During a year that got completely and utterly out of hand, she broke Neil Hayward’s 2013 ABA mark and set a new ABA standard, photographing 792 species. On a personal level, 2016 was a year of unparalleled joy and fulfillment. In this presentation Laura shares her motivations for doing a big year, and the adventures involved as she travelled to each corner of the ABA area, from the lush beauty of Hawaii to the vast wilderness of Alaska. She will share the joy of her journeys – the sights, the people, the wildlife – as she lived her Big Year dream, immersed in the healing power of birding.

Bio:  Laura is an avid birder and photographer from Mason, Ohio, now living in south Texas. A clinical pharmacist by profession, her passion for birding was sparked during high school summer field biology when she saw an Indigo Bunting. In 2016, Laura followed her dream and did an ABA Big Year, in which she traveled to all corners of the continent to set a record of 792 photographed species. She was one of four birders that year to break Neil Hayward’s 2013 record. She is the former photo editor of The Ohio Cardinal, and her wildlife photography has been published in multiple outlets.